


True Love Is For Saps

by phoenixgal



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Multi, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-17 22:40:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7288921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixgal/pseuds/phoenixgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam isn't sure she believes in love and marriage. Daniel still does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	True Love Is For Saps

**Author's Note:**

> No beta. Mistakes my own.
> 
> Standard disclaimers, don't own them, just borrowing, etc. etc.

Sam looked out the window of the plane. “I can't even remember the last time I had to fly, much less that I flew commercial.”

“It's easy to forget the way the little people do things,” Daniel teased, already pulling out his laptop and headphones. He could work anywhere. She could too, but she'd purposefully checked her laptop and all her work and brought magazines. She noticed Daniel noticing the lack of work to keep her busy on the flight to DC with raised eyebrows.

“I'm going to be stuck in meetings for the next four days. I thought I'd force myself to do less on the way there.”

“Suit yourself,” he said.

However, as they settled in, waiting while the endless announcements ran and lights flashed on and off in the cabin, he chatted with her instead of doing whatever translation or writing he had intended to work on. She knew he was writing a sort of manual on Gate travel, something to be used by the next set of recruits, something that would include a real history of the program. He was also writing at least half a dozen different reference works on languages that he was the only person on Earth who even spoke. It must be weird to be Daniel, she thought sometimes. As annoying as they could be, at least she had Bill, and McKay, and a handful of other peers who could work more or less at her level or even a little more. It must be lonely to be the only one who could bring all these pieces of the puzzle together like Daniel.

At first they talked about what might be called family gossip. How was Vala, how was Cam managing now that Sam had moved back to Area 51 temporarily, how was Cassie doing. Then the discussion seemed to veer right toward loneliness. It had been awhile since they'd talked, now that SG-1 had basically, finally, broken up. Sure, Cam was still out there leading a version of the team, one that usually included Daniel, but it looked like they'd have a new configuration more permanently soon. Things were settling down after the Ori. Other than the continuing issues in Pegasus, and she suspected that she or Daniel or both of them would end up in Atlantis before the year was out for some reason or other, possibly long term, things felt strangely manageable at the moment. If they could manage to synthesize the knowledge in the Asgard database then things could potentially be amazing. The mind boggled at the possibilities for the human race with all that knowledge.

But were they happy? She didn't mean to blurt it out but she found herself doing just that as the chat settled into a deeper conversation and the plane crossed the county at 30,000 feet. 

Really, she was pretty happy. It was more that she increasingly felt like her short lived quest to find happiness outside the program was doomed. Her father had basically told her she had to find a life partner and have kids to feel fulfilled. Her subconscious had basically told her the same thing once upon a time. However, she increasingly felt like it was an oppressive load of sexist bullshit. And that even her subconscious was apparently in on the oppression.

“Most recently, it was Cassie. She's in love, you know.”

“I didn't.”

“Well, she is. He's beyond perfect, apparently. Pre-med, like her. Wants to study infectious diseases and join Doctors Without Borders.”

Daniel stifled a smile. “He sounds... perfect.”

“When I saw her last week, she asked me, as if she were my nosy sister in law and not my almost daughter, when would I take time to fall in love and get married. I mean, do people feel the need to tell you to get married? We both can get this way, right? Where work is the most important thing. But it's not all bad. I don't think I'm ever happier than when I've figured out something – how to adapt a piece of alien tech or, oh, seeing how some piece of theoretical physics has an actual application that I'm the first person on Earth to have ever managed to use. So then why must everyone tell me I'm not really happy? Like, if I don't have some big, love of my life romance that I'm not happy. What do they know?”

It was probably too intimate a conversation between old friends for a plane ride. When Daniel didn't immediately respond, Sam added, “That wasn't totally rhetorical.”

“Oh, I know. No, no one hassles me. Double standards. Crappy and unfair. But also, I was married. I think it's different if you're a widower.”

“I think I'm just coming to terms with the idea that I don't even want that.”

“You don't have to want it.” He spoke gently. “Marriage is a social construct. Not everyone has to opt in. Romance as we conceive of it is just as constructed in its own way. We were raised to think that you fall in love with the one true person and get married. But my wife wasn't raised to think that and we were very happy, if only for a brief time.”

“I'm sorry, Daniel,” she said automatically.

“No, I'm the one turning the conversation maudlin. And somehow I doubt arranged marriage is the solution to your predicament. I say screw them. Who cares if they want you married and breeding. Do what you love. You always forge your own path.”

She cocked her head at him. “You still want it, though, don't you? Love and marriage.”

He paused. “Yes. I would like to get married again. If circumstances change.”

“But are you happy? Now? Can you be happy without an all encompassing romantic love?”

This time he paused for much longer. Looked at his computer as if he was longing for it, sorry they'd ever gotten into this conversation. Sam's heart broke a little looking at him. She felt suddenly guilty for bringing it up. When he'd come back after ascension that first time, everything about Daniel's life had seemed so hopeful, so open. It was like he could start over. But in the last half decade, what had actually happened for him? She'd seen him recovering from his stint as a Prior and she suspected it was still something that was difficult for him. He kept on spurring Vala even though she knew he loved her in a certain way, it probably wasn't going to become romantic love or it would have already.

“You know, Sam, I should probably…” he looked torn, like he was about to say something but then trailed off instead. He sighed a long breath of exhalation. “No, I don't think I could be happy without that sort of romantic love. I could convince myself I was. I've done it before. But it's something I need.”

“Oh, Daniel.”

He smiled a huge, warm smile at her that seemed out of place in the conversation. “But you don't have to feel the same way, Sam. Forget about me. Could you be happy without that?”

“Yes,” she said, almost resolutely. “Every time I think about it, it seems like something out of my reach anyway. I suppose if it were to happen, it would just happen, and that might be fine, though I can't imagine it. It seems like the whole idea is for suckers, honestly. For total saps. Oh... I don't mean... I didn't mean you."

He grinned. "Sap, sitting right here. It's okay, Sam."

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "I used to think I wanted a partner. That's certainly what my father wanted for me. It's what I was trying to turn Pete into. But I don't even think I want that anymore.”

“Just a construct. Not one you're interested in.”

“Exactly.”

“Sam, I hereby promise to make sure everyone I can possibly play interference with stays off your back regarding love and children. I'll do it by inserting my own sorry state into the conversation whenever possible. It's very distracting apparently.”

She laughed. “Do you ever...” She shook her head.

“What? Say it.”

“Do you feel lonely? I'm done with life partners but sometimes I miss...”

“Ah,” he said, eyes lighting up. “Samantha Carter, you don't need a husband and kids, you need to get laid.”

She blushed, especially as she realized it might sound like she was making a pass, which she decidedly wasn't. He was right. She didn't want a husband, she wanted a fuck buddy. But not Daniel. He was like family.

If he thought it was a pass, he played it off. “So go out and get laid.”

“Probably not anyone at this IOA shindig.”

“Oh, you never know.”

The conversation had been almost too close, too revealing, even for the two of them. Soon after that, Daniel finally turned on his laptop and stuck in his headphones. Sam pulled out a People magazine she'd picked up in the airport shop.

The formal affair that evening was meticulously catered and decorated as well as beyond stiff and uncomfortable. While the IOA often made a big deal of how it was above the petty political squabbles between the various member nations, the reality was that throwing a bunch of Chinese, Russian, French, British, and American diplomats into a room was always asking for trouble. The scientists knew how to play nice, but even they got competitive sometimes. It didn't make for a good party atmosphere to kick off a four day conference about the gate. It made for a minefield.

Sometimes it was nice to have the chance to dress up. Before she'd left, Vala had gotten girly about which dress she ought to wear to the big party, the one Vala pouted that she wasn't invited to. But it was nights like these that Sam was glad sometimes she didn't have a choice. She was in dress blues and having the uniform felt like armor in the best possible way. At the closing, she'd probably get a chance to slip into the dress she brought at Vala's urging, but that would be a less formal affair.

Daniel was off schmoozing. Sam noticed that Shen had cornered him again and they were speaking Chinese. General O'Neill arrived looking a cross between bored and uncomfortable that most people probably just read as “general face.” He greeted her very formally but gave her an actual smile. After she had broken things off with Pete almost three years before, she'd realized she was using him as an excuse again, an excuse for getting out of something that wasn't right all on its own. She'd finally moved on, but it still gave her a warm feeling inside when he said, “Carter.” She knew it was hard wired in her to smile at his attention at this point. It was probably just as well that he had moved across the country. Then other scientists came up to her and she lost sight of both O'Neill and Daniel while everyone ate dinner.

At some point before dinner, Paul Davis appeared at her side and did an amazing job at helping her sort through who was who. It was as if he had memorized everyone's biography. He pointed out where people were from, what interests they represented, and warned her what they wanted from her. He steered her toward a South African physicist she had wanted to meet then brought over a woman in his department who had just been promoted to major, who was obviously thrilled to meet her, but managed to do it without fawning. She liked meeting women who were also on the fast track in the military and she liked this one. Next, he managed to distract one of the Russian military representatives who clearly just wanted to rant and complain. 

Midway through dessert, as everyone milled around and they had a lull, Sam said, “Paul, are you handling me?”

“I can stop if you like.”

“But you're so good at it.” 

He smiled. She didn't know Paul that well, but she knew enough to respect what he did. She knew he worked with General O'Neill these days and that he and Daniel were old friends, ever since their trip to Moscow together years ago.

“Look out, that's Otavio Santos coming this way.”

“Someone else who wants increased access to the Asgard database?”

“No, I'm just pretty sure he thinks you're hot and is going to hit on you. Rumor has it he has a thing for women in uniform.”

She grimaced. And then politely managed to extricate herself when Paul turned out to be right.

“And here I was feeling grateful I didn't have to get pretty for tonight.”

“You're plenty pretty,” Paul said. “Anyone focused on the clothes isn't looking at the right things.”

As the evening finally got wound down enough that she felt like she could make an escape, she looked for Daniel. They were checked into the same hotel across the river near the Pentagon. She imagined he was also ready to flee, but she didn't see him, so she found Paul instead.

“Paul, have you seen Daniel?”

“He's long gone.”

She was surprised, but Paul seemed quite sure. She looked at him. He'd been polite and courteous all night. Half the time he'd been doing for her what she suspected he did for General O'Neill much of the time by managing the room for her. The other half, he'd flirted, a sort of light, teasing, cheerful flirting that she hadn't realized was something he'd be so good at. He was handsome. Dark hair and eyes, beautiful smile.

“I don't suppose you'd like to get me out of here?” she asked, on sudden impulse.

For the first time, she had the pleasure of seeing the unflappable Paul Davis look surprised.

“Unless you don't...” she began. 

“No, I'd love to take you home. Unless, god, you did mean...”

“Yes, I meant. You shouldn't look so shocked. You've been flirting with me all night.”

“Sure, but I didn't think you'd… Well. Let's just say I'm glad I did.”

Sam was almost sure she didn't have to say it, but she felt compelled to add, “Just for tonight.”

“No strings,” Paul said.

Paul didn't have his car there. He'd taken the Metro that morning then come straight from work. They took a cab back to his condo in Arlington. It was in a mid-rise building with a view of the river and the city. She could see the outlines of the monuments and the city from his balcony while he brought her a nightcap. The building was older, but Paul's apartment was extremely modern and tidy without seeming sterile, everything in its place yet still lived in.

As soon as the nightcap was sipped, Paul kissed her and she had the pleasure of discovering what a good kisser he was. His lips sought hers and moved with assurance and just the right pressure until their mouths fell open and she found his tongue on hers.

In bed, it turned out Paul enjoyed using his mouth so much that she felt almost guilty at taking so much attention and effort as he lapped at her. He had a talented mouth, one that sensed just what to do and when to back off. It had been too long since she'd gotten laid. When he finally rolled on a condom and pressed inside her, she was so loose and post-orgasmic that his hard thrusts felt like warm strokes. She felt like she'd melted inside. When he came, she cried out with his moan, little aftershocks of pleasure sizzling through her as he finished.

“I have a confession to make,” Paul said as they laid together afterward. “I've always thought you were attractive.”

“That's the confession?” Sam giggled. It was good to feel like this, she remembered. After sex, she could giggle in a way she couldn't any other time.

“No. That's just true. It's the lead in that hopefully makes this better. Daniel put me up to hitting on you tonight.”

“He did?”

“He found me early on and told me that I should go and flirt with you. Just flirt, he said, and see where it goes. The general was there and he said, go do what you do best, Davis, keep the room under control for her. Carter'll think that's sexy.”

Paul did a reasonably good impression of General O'Neill. Sam cringed. “Oh, god.” Then she started giggling. “It was sexy.” Paul was very competent and she'd always found competence sexy.

“I just thought you should know.”

“I'm not mad. Just… Daniel! And the general!”

“I think they meant well. I dare say Daniel did well?”

“He did.” She shook her head. “How did he manage to get out of there so early? I don't think I saw him after everyone sat down to dinner.”

“Well, I think he had an alternate agenda in mind.”

“What do you mean?”

Paul practically sniggered. “I was with the general when Daniel got away from Shen, who is always trying to corner him. I've rarely seen Daniel in such a mood. He was practically exuberant and bubbly. Totally out of place at that staid party. Of course, Daniel's always marching to the beat of his own drummer. Right after he told me to go chat you up, he whispered something to the general and the next thing I know, Daniel's having a sneezing fit in front of Pierre Boyer, who is an infamous germaphobe. The general stepped in all like, I'll get him out of here. He made a perfect show of looking incredibly put out. But, of course, Boyer's like, yes, make sure he doesn't sneeze on ze food.” 

At that point, Paul was very nearly in giggles too. “I think they couldn't wait to get out of there and back to Jack's. When was the last time they even saw each other? It's got to have been two months.”

Sam sat up in Paul's bed, pulling the covers up over her, feeling very naked suddenly and very cold. “What are you saying?” She tried to say it calmly, but even she could feel the stark shock in her voice.

Paul went still. “Oh god. I thought you knew.”

Sam stood up from the bed, grabbing the clothes that had piled there. Now the dress blues were a huge annoyance, to have to get into them in the middle of the night like this. 

Paul sat up too. “Don't leave like this. Sam. Please. Oh, god, I've really stepped in it. I didn't mean to. I just thought that SG-1, that you guys were… Oh no, I'm making it worse, aren't I?”

He was. That was why it was so bad.

“I'm sorry, Paul,” she said. “I think I just want to get back to my hotel. Do you think you could call me a cab?”

“Let me loan you my car,” he said quickly. It'll be easier. You can park it in the lot at your hotel. I'll retrieve it when I'm ready and pay the garage fee.”

She was torn, but she accepted the offer and took Paul's black sports coupe and used the GPS to guide her back to the 70's high rise hotel, just a few minutes away, closer to the Pentagon. It was well past midnight and the roads were mostly empty. The hotel lobby, with its stuffy drapes and tasteful but easily cleaned upholstery was deserted. When she got to her room, she knew that the room across the hall, where Daniel had left his suitcase early that afternoon when they arrived from the airport, was also empty.

She tried to be sensible and go to bed, but she tossed and turned. It wasn't like her. She was usually good at going right to sleep. She'd been able to go right to sleep in all kinds of crazy situations off world and on, fate of the universe hanging in a balance and she could just nod off if she knew that someone was on watch and it was necessary. Instead, she was there reviewing the whole history of these two men, from the very first moment she went through the gate to Abydos. And her own flirtation with Jack, something she had finally managed to give up, now made her strangely bitter in a way it never had before. The conversation with Daniel on the plane came into sharp focus as well.

He'd like to get married, if circumstances changed. He couldn't be happy without that sort of romantic love, but he had smiled broadly at her. What she had taken as Daniel wanting to escape into work was Daniel feeling guilty that he hadn't told her.

And could he have? Could they have? A logical part of her brain, the part that almost always ruled her, understood, but an emotional part she rarely felt so strongly surged up. She loved these men, probably more than anyone else in her life. Maybe even more than her own brother. They were her team, her family. They had the thing you have with people who you know will die for you out in the field, and you know it because they've thrown themselves in the line of fire for you. For the first time, she hated that it's true that there are no friends like war buddies. She felt a stark sense of exclusion, of betrayal. And she especially felt angry at Paul. Paul fucking Davis knew this and she didn't.

Finally, she managed to fall asleep. She woke up to a consistent rapping of knuckles on her door.

“Sam?” It was Daniel's voice. “I'm pretty sure you're in there. And that either you're not answering because it's me or you're oversleeping when we both have a million meetings today and either way, I wish you'd...”

She opened the door. He thrust a cup of coffee in her direction and smiled. “Let me explain.”

“Daniel, really, there's no need.”

She took the coffee and looked around the room. “I did oversleep, so thank you for waking me up. I, um, I need to get dressed and I have a nine hundred with a bunch of the IOA brass.”

He shook his head. Held out a small, round gadget with a little blue light on the side, pressed a button, and set it on the desk. She recognized it immediately as a little anti-bugging tech the Asgard had helped them rig up once upon a time. Anti-NID stuff, anti-Trust. 

“Really no need,” she said again, flatly.

“I think there is.”

“Daniel, I've really got to get dressed.”

“Paul rearranged your day. Nothing until 10.”

“Paul did that?”

Daniel shrugged. “He called me this morning, early.”

“Of course.” She could hear the anger in her own voice.

“Don't be mad at Paul,” Daniel said. “He feels like a jerk.”

“I'm not mad at Paul,” though she was, “I'm mad at you for...” She stopped. She didn't really want to get into this.

“You're mad because Paul knew and you didn't.”

Sam didn't respond. 

“You feel manipulated. And betrayed. Maybe by Jack more than me. I don't know. And that I set you up with Paul Davis last night for casual sex just makes it worse. The whole conversation on the plane just makes it worse because you opened up to me and I lied by omission in return.”

She didn't answer. Daniel was too good at reading people. Except, if he was so good, it hurt more that he hadn't trusted her. The logical part of her brain screamed again. Don't ask, don't tell. He hadn't told. He didn't want to put her in that position, where his secrets were her burden. It still stung.

“I get it. The regs. The NID.” She sat in the desk chair, took a sip of the coffee, which was, of course, exactly how she liked it, cream and sugar, rich and warm.

“Jack thinks DADT only has six months left of life at best. Studies, reports, rumors have all been pouring across his desk for a little while now. We would have told you. Like, right away we would have told you.”

“I feel like an idiot.”

“Probably a rare experience for Sam Carter.”

She didn't say anything. Sipped the coffee some more.

“Ask me anything, Sam,” Daniel said. He was nearly begging. “I want to explain. It's out now, so please let me tell you. You probably won't believe this now, but it hurt to not be able to talk to you on the plane. It's hurt for a long time to keep this from you.”

“Who else knows?”

She could see Daniel settle into full disclosure mode. He spoke quickly, cutting off the emotion that had crept into his voice earlier, becoming no nonsense in his answer.

“Teal'c. He asked. Many years ago, before there even was anything to ask about really. But he's from Chulak, where gender segregation is the norm and men form bonds with other men based on hierarchies and shared experiences in combat. It's just different. And, maybe, I'm not sure, Vala. She's said some things lately and despite how insane she can seem, she really is uncanny at reading people. I had started to think maybe I need to take her aside and explain some things about same sex relationships and the military and just how quickly our culture is changing, but she keeps throwing herself at me and as long as she's doing that, it seems like either she actually doesn't know, or she knows and doesn't care or thinks I don't care or that it's not monogamous or she knows and thinks that constantly trying to wind me up is a blast. Probably that last one. Um, Jack's aunt knows. That was an interesting Christmas. Sara knows. She was worried about him, he told her last year. They, um, meet on the anniversary of Charlie's death. Janet knew, for complex reasons that I don't especially want to get into right now, but I'll tell you if it's important to you. I always thought Walter probably knew, just because of the year Jack was in charge and he managed everything about Jack's schedule down to absurd details. You know how Walter is. But if he did, he never said anything.”

“How long?”

“That's a complicated question. One answer is since after Jack came out of stasis in Antarctica. We decided after that to be together, to make a commitment. Another answer is after I came back from ascension the first time. That was when the physical side started, as an occasional affair. I was different, I guess, and I couldn't remember why we had never been together like that. Jack wasn't really ready though. He was still stuck on some things, DADT being one of them. But another answer is always. From before we even made the gate work and he walked into the room and our eyes met. Or when I died for him, the first time. Or when our eyes met again and we had a plan to kill Ra together. All of those things were us falling in love.”

“Oh my god,” Sam said. She hadn't felt like she could feel more shocked than she had when Paul had so casually joked about the two of them hurrying off to Jack's bed, but Daniel's description of their relationship was so bare, so heartfelt. It was strangely romantic and tragic, though she reminded herself it wasn't tragic as they were still together.

“Sam, don't beat yourself up that you didn't see it. You were military before you were born. All your friends are military or military adjacent. Your social world is entirely military if you don't count occasional diplomatic efforts on alien planets. You're not wired to see it.”

“And Paul is?”

Daniel ran his hands over his face and made a frustrated noise. The calm, no nonsense persona faded. “All's fair in love and war. Yes, Paul is wired to see it.” He gave her a long stare.

Sam felt gobsmacked. “You mean...”

“He outed me first.” As if they were children on the playground. But he hit me first.

Sam was speechless. It was like the whole world was taking on a different hue.

“Look. I set you up with Paul last night because I'm pretty sure Paul is happy. His work is so different from anything we do, but he's damn good at it. He's basically the power behind the throne at Homeworld and he probably will be forever, and even though it means he doesn't get half the credit he deserves or even a tenth of the promotions he's probably earned, he's happy with that. And I also know, because I know Paul, that he's not interested in marriage and kids and one true loves. He's married to the job and he's okay with that. He likes Washington, doesn't mind dealing with a pick up scene when he's ready to get laid, has some friends of both sexes he sees casually. And, since we're on full disclosure, I know all this because I used to be one of those friends.

“I think part of why Paul is happy is that is being queer you don't necessarily fall into the belief that white picket fences is the only path to happiness. The ideal is one man, one woman, one true love. But if you're queer you've defied the one man and woman thing right out of the gate. Once you're over it, you don't spend all this time beating yourself up about not wanting any of the extra baggage, whether it's kids or marriage or monogamy or what. It's easier to see that there are other paths to a fulfilled life. So, yeah, I thought, you deserved to get laid, which was probably an unconscionable intrusion on my part and I apologize deeply. But I also thought, it would do Sam good to see Paul's happy life, or, at least, that even if no one got laid, the two of you should be friends.”

Daniel sighed. “Don't be mad at Paul,” he said again. “Really. You must have really gotten under his skin or got him to let his guard down beyond anything I've ever seen. I've never known him to be a gossip. He's one of the most careful people I know when it comes to secrets. He has to be.”

“It just came up,” Sam said. “I wondered how you'd managed to escape so early.”

“Ah. I used some of the flowers to trigger an allergy attack in front of a hypochondriac.”

“That's what Paul said too. He thought it was pretty funny. And then he said how the two of you couldn't wait...”

“He wasn't wrong.”

“Again I'm feeling dumb.” She shook her head when he started to object. “But you're happy? Both of you?”

He nodded.

“And marriage?” she couldn't quite believe it.

“Jack thinks I don't know this, but he had rings made.” She watched Daniel blush slightly. “I'm pretty sure he's proposing the minute the DADT repeal is announced for sure. If you think I'm a hopeless romantic, well...”

“Circumstances, you said on the plane.”

“Ah. Yeah.”

She glanced at the clock. Quarter to nine. Daniel glanced at the time as well.

“Why don't I go wait in the lobby. We can have a car take us over to Homeworld when you're ready.”

Sam showered and dressed. She and Daniel shared the car over to meetings for the day, acting again like old friends or family, though Sam still wasn't sure if she felt it. It helped that Daniel was so purposefully playing the part. He was so determined, she could see, not to let this ruin them. He asked did she want to get dinner after the conference was over.

“You're here in Washington with the love of your life and you really want to get dinner with me?”

“You're important,” he said. 

She shook her head. “I'm not angry. Or, if I am, I'll be over it at some point. Just give it a little time.”

It wasn't until late that evening that Paul appeared at the door of the temporary office she'd been assigned, where she was wrangling through the information for her presentation the following day to some of the engineers about the physics behind the new Asgard technology they were meant to be implementing and dumbing down for mass consumption or integrating with the next generation of the 302's.

“Can I get you dinner?” he asked. “I definitely owe you an apology.”

“You don't owe me anything, Paul.”

“Well, I feel bad in any case. You're someone I've always liked and admired. I'd hate to think that the one time I couldn't keep my mouth shut I ruin the chance to be your friend.”

“Your mouth was fine,” she said. Then they both looked slightly embarrassed and she let him take her out to an upscale diner near his apartment. They talked about work and Sam found that Paul, while not at all a scientist, enjoyed hearing about her work, or, at least, faked it pretty well. He talked politics, who was in and who was out, all the things she usually ignored. He told her he thought she'd get command of Odyssey once they finally let it leave Earth orbit, or maybe the next ship, the Phoenix. Or maybe that she'd get Atlantis if Weir ever stepped down. She didn't think that was likely, though he said that the military was determined to go over the IOA and get one of their own in there.

Daniel had been right, they did make good friends and Sam found it oddly freeing to be having dinner with a man who she knew she could get into bed if she wanted, but who she didn't have to think about ever marrying. And there was something to be said for having the same security clearance.

Later, when she looked out at the lights on the monuments from Paul's tiny balcony, and he asked her how she felt, she said, “Content.” He folded her into a kiss that was warm and comforting and pulled her back inside.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been digging out old fic that I never posted. So voila. I always like the Sam finds out trope. And have always thought she'd be better off alone as a positive life choice.


End file.
